(a) Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a foliar saline spray solution for selective control of noxious weeds such as ragweed, poison ivy, dandelion, clover, bedstraw, wild parsley, millet, thistle, English daisy, plantain, ground-ivy and knotweed. The invention also relates to a method for selective control of noxious weeds.
(b) Description of Prior Art
There are many known herbicidal solutions for controlling vegetation. Some herbicidal solutions are selective, such as to control broad leaf weeds growing among grass, while others control a wider range of plant species. Some herbicidal solutions act to control vegetation when the active ingredient of the herbicidal composition comes into contact with the leaves of the plant, while others saturate the soil around the plant""s roots and are subsequently absorbed by the roots.
A major drawback of many of the known herbicidal compositions is that they are not only toxic to the unwanted vegetation, but are also hazardous to man, the environment, and the wildlife. For instance, the user of a toxic herbicidal composition should be concerned with direct contact of the active ingredient of the herbicidal composition with the skin or eyes, and with vapors emitted by the herbicidal composition itself or the spraying thereof, inhaled into the lungs. Also of concern is the longevity of the herbicide residues remaining active in the soil which creates a potential for run off of the toxic herbicidal composition into the ground water. Many of the active ingredients used in herbicidal composition are known carcinogens.
Another drawback of the herbicidal composition of the prior art is that most compositions need to contain many active ingredients to ensure a broad spectrum of action.
Herbicidal compositions containing a non toxic active ingredient are known. U.S. Pat. No. 1,354,043 (Kramer) describe a herbicidal composition containing Lye, slack coal, saltpeter, and salt in specific proportion. This composition is described as a xe2x80x9cpoisonxe2x80x9d and the author suggests allowing a few weeks after the use of the poison for passing out to the soil.
Frear (Chemistry of Pesticides 3rd ed. p. 401, 1955) discloses that sodium chloride may be used as a herbicide but will kill all types of vegetation, without any selection.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,330,964 (Alesi) discloses a method of controlling low lying vegetation by providing and applying sodium bicarbonate on the vegetation so that the bicarbonate accumulate and forms a layer of between xe2x85x9 to xc2xc inch of thickness.
It would be highly desirable to be provided with a non-toxic foliar spray solution for selective control of noxious weeds.
It would also be highly desirable to be provided with a simple, yet inexpensive, foliar saline spray solution which is effective against undesirable weeds but which is non-toxic for the environment, the soil, mankind or the wildlife.
One aim of the present invention is to provide a non-toxic foliar spray solution for selective control of noxious weeds.
Another aim of the present invention is to provide a simple, yet inexpensive, foliar saline spray solution which is effective against undesirable weeds but which is non-toxic for the environment, the soil, mankind or the wildlife.
In accordance with the present invention there is provided a foliar saline spray solution for selective control of noxious weeds. The solution consists of 8% to less than 10% and most preferably 12%, weight to volume of at least one salt. The salt is preferably in a soluble form.
In a second embodiment, the solution consists of 8% to 20%, weight to volume, of at least one salt in combination with at least one adjuvant.
Also in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a method for selective control of noxious weeds, comprising contacting weeds with a growth inhibiting amount of a solution as defined above.